[Coda]

Originally Posted by EverAshwood

So it's really nice to wake up and have a really good morning so far
Once I learned to live for contentment and not happiness, life got a lot better. Guess depression gave me unrealistic goals for what "okay" is?

Well done! That's a key insight that more people could stand to grasp, depression or not. "Happiness" is transitory and ephemeral; it can't last -- even if nothing goes wrong, eventually the state of things becomes your new normal, and normal doesn't inspire a sense of joy.

But contentment? Contentment is real. Contentment is a sense that you aren't lacking for what you need. It represents stability and success.

Depression makes it hard to see the joy in things. It highlights the futility of temporary things. But when you set a goal for yourself that doesn't depend on how you feel about it, it makes it possible to sidestep the negativity. And when you can objectively see that you've met your goals, it helps to avoid the characteristic downward spiral.

So good for you! :)